Surgical instrument

Abstract

A surgical instrument includes a handle having first and second ends and a passage that extends between the ends, wherein a maximum height of the handle is less than a lateral length of the handle, a shaft having first and second ends and a longitudinal axis that extends between the ends, and a coaxial channel that extends completely through the shaft, wherein the shaft is releasably connectable to the handle when the first end of the shaft is inserted from the second end of the handle into the passage to a position closer to the first end of the handle than to the second end of the handle, and a secondary instrument configured to be inserted from the first end of the shaft into the channel and to extend out of the second end of the shaft when the shaft and the handle are connected to one another.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A surgical instrument comprising:
 a handle having a first end, a second end, and a passage that extends from the first end to the second end through a portion of the handle having a maximum height measured in a direction of extension of the passage, wherein the maximum height of the handle is less than a length of the handle measured in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension of the passage; 
 a shaft having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis extending from the first end to the second end, and a coaxial channel that extends completely through the shaft, wherein the shaft is connectable to the handle when the first end of the shaft is inserted from the second end of the handle into the passage to a position that is closer to the first end of the handle than to the second end of the handle, and wherein the handle comprises an actuator configured to be actuated in a direction parallel to an axis of extension of the length of the handle to release the connection between the handle and the shaft; and 
 a secondary instrument comprising an attachment portion that is attachable to the handle in a manner such that a combined maximum height of the handle and the attached secondary instrument remains less than the length of the handle; 
 wherein when the shaft and the handle are connected to one another, the secondary instrument is configured to be inserted from the first end of the shaft into the channel and to extend out of the second end of the shaft. 
 
     
     
       2. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary instrument is insertable from the first end of the handle through the passage of the handle and into the channel of the shaft. 
     
     
       3. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary instrument comprises an elongate shaft with a tip portion. 
     
     
       4. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary instrument comprises an awl. 
     
     
       5. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises a first connection surface and the shaft comprises a second connection surface that extends to an end face at the first end of the shaft and that is configured to engage the first connection surface. 
     
     
       6. The surgical instrument of  claim 5 , wherein the first connection surface and the second connection surface comprise corresponding standardized connection surfaces with axial heights that are less than half of the maximum height of the handle and with respective cross-sections that deviate from respective cross-sections of the handle and the shaft adjacent the first and second connection surfaces. 
     
     
       7. The surgical instrument of  claim 5 , wherein when the first connection surface and the second connection surface are engaged, the engagement is configured to be locked and released. 
     
     
       8. The surgical instrument of  claim 5 , further comprising a cannulated adapter comprising a third connection surface structured substantially similarly to the second connection surface for engaging the first connection surface, and a fourth connection surface structured substantially similarly to the first connection surface for engaging the second connection surface, such that the cannulated adapter is configured to be releasably mountable between the shaft and the handle and is configured to connect an auxiliary device to the surgical instrument. 
     
     
       9. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein when the actuator is actuated, an overall length of the entire handle remains the same. 
     
     
       10. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the surgical instrument is substantially T-shaped when the handle and the shaft are assembled to one another. 
     
     
       11. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the second end of the shaft comprises a functional section configured to perform a primary function of the surgical instrument. 
     
     
       12. The surgical instrument of  claim 11 , wherein the functional section comprises a thread cutting portion. 
     
     
       13. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment portion is attachable to the first end of the handle. 
     
     
       14. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment portion comprises a bracket with two ends having respective projections that extend in the direction of extension of the passage to engage attachment recesses on the handle. 
     
     
       15. The surgical instrument of  claim 14 , wherein the secondary instrument is rotatable to engage the attachment portion with the attachment recesses on the handle. 
     
     
       16. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , further comprising a cannulated adapter releasably mountable to other portions of the surgical instrument, with at least a portion of the cannulated adapter positioned axially between part of the shaft and part of the handle, wherein the adapter is configured to connect an auxiliary device to the surgical instrument. 
     
     
       17. A system comprising the surgical instrument of  claim 1  and a cannulated bone anchor. 
     
     
       18. The surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein an opening of the passage defined at the first end of the handle is smaller than an opening of the passage defined at the second end of the handle to form a stop therebetween, such that the first end of the shaft is configured to abut against the stop when the shaft is inserted in the handle. 
     
     
       19. A surgical kit comprising:
 a handle having a first end, a second end, and a passage that extends from the first end to the second end through a portion of the handle having a maximum height measured in a direction of extension of the passage, wherein the maximum height of the handle is less than a length of the handle measured in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension of the passage; 
 a first shaft having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis extending from the first end to the second end, and a coaxial channel that extends completely through the shaft; 
 a second shaft having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis extending from the first end to the second end, and a coaxial channel that extends completely through the shaft, wherein the first and second shafts are interchangeably connectable to the handle by inserting the first end of the selected shaft from the second end of the handle into the passage to a position that is closer to the first end of the handle than to the second end of the handle, and wherein the handle comprises an actuator configured to be actuated in a direction parallel to an axis of extension of the length of the handle to release the connection between the handle and the selected shaft; and 
 a secondary instrument comprising an attachment portion that is attachable to the handle in a manner such that a combined maximum height of the handle and the attached secondary instrument remains less than the length of the handle; 
 wherein when one of the first or second shafts is connected to the handle, the secondary instrument is configured to be inserted from the first end of the connected shaft into the channel of the connected shaft and to extend out of the second end of the connected shaft. 
 
     
     
       20. A method of assembling a surgical instrument comprising a handle having a first end, a second end, and a passage that extends from the first end to the second end through a portion of the handle having a maximum height measured in a direction of extension of the passage, wherein the maximum height of the handle is less than a length of the handle measured in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension of the passage, a shaft having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis extending from the first end to the second end, and a coaxial channel that extends completely through the shaft, wherein the shaft is connectable to the handle, and wherein the handle comprises an actuator configured to be actuated in a direction parallel to an axis of extension of the length of the handle to release the connection between the handle and the shaft, and a secondary instrument, the method comprising:
 inserting the first end of the shaft from the second end of the handle into the passage to a position that is closer to the first end of the handle than to the second end of the handle to connect the shaft to the handle; 
 inserting the secondary instrument from the first end of the handle into the passage to the first end of the shaft and from the first end of the shaft into the channel until the secondary instrument extends out of the second end of the shaft; and 
 engaging an attachment portion of the secondary instrument with the handle to hold an axial position of the secondary instrument relative to the handle and the shaft, wherein when the attachment portion of the secondary instrument is engaged with the handle, a combined maximum height of the handle and the attached secondary instrument remains less than the length of the handle.